2018 Hugo Graphic Novel

Updated as I complete and rank each entry in this year's Graphic Novel competition for the Hugo Awards.

• Monstress - Volume 2 - Yet another great entry from this team.  The artwork is awesome and the story is fantastic.  Most importantly, they didn't let the sub-text step in front of the text.
• Black Bolt - Volume 1 Hard Times - Wonderful artwork, compelling narratives, and engaging characters.  This was very hard to put down.  What separated Black Bolt from Paper Girls was that the story didn't need an explanation that only existed in other works and the art was just a touch grander.
• Paper Girls - Volume 3 - Although this is the third volume, the team does a good job of getting the reader up to speed.  The characters, as always, are very engaging.  The plotlines keep the reader interested.  The artwork is good, but not quite as good as Monstress or Black Bolt.  Glad to see this series back as a contender.
• No Award
• Saga Volume 7 - Yet again, the authors seem intent on letting the subtext of their story bleed over the genre-related presentation.  It ended up seeming to me that they had a perspective to present and slathered on a layer of science-fantasium over the top of their narrative.
• Bitch Planet - Volume 2 - A classic example of letting the sub-text get in front of the text.  Uninspiring artwork.  And quite frankly the sci-fi elements seem like they are splashed on as an afterthought.  I didn't bother finishing it.
• My Favorite Thing is Monsters 1 - Artwork that borders on awesome and "meh" in turns.  I got a quarter way through it and couldn't really discern much of a plot.  The artwork, in particular, reminded me of some of Frank Cho's fine-line art efforts.  If all of the artwork had been at that level, then I might have invested more time in the book.